The present invention is directed to an antenna, and more particularly is directed to an antenna that may be readily customized for maximum signal-reception effectiveness with minimum cost.
Conventional antennas usually have a fixed configuration design for effective reception, respectively, in the immediate or close zone, say within a ten mile radius of the transmitter; the intermediate zone, covering a radius from 10 to 25 miles from the transmitter; or the fringe zone, covering a range of from 25 to 75 miles from the transmitter. The antennas designed for immediate zone reception are usually simple and inexpensive relative to the fringe area antennas, and the intermediate zone or area antennas are of correspondingly intermediate complexity and cost. Moreover, conventional antennas usually have fixed preferred frequency characteristics with maximum reception effectiveness for one or selected signal frequency band or bands of, for example, one or several television channels; but such antennas have a reduced effectiveness for other channels, and consumers are usually unaware of the particular preferred reception channel of a newly purchased antenna until such antenna is installed.
With the trend toward aesthetically pleasing television sets, it is desirable also to enhance the appearance of indoor antennas placed in proximity of the television. In fact, it would be most desirable to fully hide or shield from view the indoor antenna, while providing facility of mounting the antenna in proximity to the television set and efficiency in signal receiving capability.